In a 2019 poll from the Washington Post, just over half of participants favored a future in which Washington DC became its own state. Still, for most Maryland residents, the country’s capital is part of their state in all but name. While the differences between DC and Baltimore can’t be understated, most cultural elements in the two cities are very similar.
However, this doesn’t apply to their sports teams. In fact, when looking to other states and regions that share two geographically-near sports teams, an intergenerational rivalry is almost expected. This isn’t the case when it comes to the NFL and MLB, which have franchises in both cities.
Now that Maryland has legalized sports betting, no deposit free bet offers could see fans back their team with more passion. However, with local NFL and MLB teams competing in separate conferences, faceoffs don’t happen that often.
And when they do, there’s been a noticeable absence of vitriol from Maryland locals (which includes DC residents, in this example). Sure, everyone wants their side to win (especially if there’s a moneyline wager on the table), but what makes Orioles and Nationals fans different from one another? And what separates Ravens and WFT fans?
The MLB’s Beltway Series
There’s been ample back-and-forth from MLB teams in the area; the Baltimore Orioles were founded in 1871 but weren’t an American League competitor in Baltimore until the Browns moved from St. Louis in 1953. The same goes for DC, which was home to the Senators until they moved in 1971, then the Nationals moved back in 2005.
This means there aren’t clear intergenerational ties to either team in the area, as both teams have been transient. In fact, the existing feud comes down to strange details, such as the yelling of “O!” at games or predictions of rain at the 2017 Beltway Series.
Ravens & WFT: Best Friends?
With owner Dan Snyder’s poor public image, the Washington Football Team isn’t short on haters—but they’re not typically Ravens’ fans. In fact, the WFT has been active since 1932, which means it shared fans with Baltimore prior to the Ravens being founded as an expansion team in 1996.
Similar to the MLB teams mentioned above, the Ravens and WFT play in separate conferences, which means they don’t face off during the regular season often. And with no Beltway Series to auger a sense of competition between DC and Baltimore, there have been no high-stakes contests to pit the teams against one another.
Without anything to lose, there’s been little reason for fans of either team to stoke a rivalry. In fact, a growing number of DC football fans have been gravitating toward the Ravens; according to NBCS, TV ratings from the 2019 season saw the Ravens outperform the WFT in DC (9.5 vs. 9.3).
